But Falkingham believed the pair had been seeing each other when he was still with her, Jeremy Lindsay prosecuting told the court today.

On an evening last December when he was driving in Huddersfield, Mr Craven found himself blocked in by a Subaru vehicle driven by Falkingham, of Linthwaite, who had another man with him.

Falkingham approached Mr Craven’s car asking what he was doing seeing the girl and when the complainant replied “What’s it got to do with you” he was pulled from the car.

He was then pinned against it by Falkingham who punched him once in the face before he drove off.

Mr Craven was later seen at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and found to have a broken and dislocated jaw. He was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary where he had surgery and had to follow a soft diet for a month.

Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Acre Street, Lindley, Huddersfield.

Falkingham told police it was all about his ex-girlfriend. He said he had only hit Mr Craven once but said “it was a good punch.”

Ben Campbell representing him said such behaviour “was wholly out of character” for him.

He had been in a long-term relationship with the girl concerned but after it ended and he found out she was seeing Mr Craven he suspected it had been going on longer.

He realised he should not have acted as he had and had expressed his remorse. He was in regular work and able to pay compensation if the court felt able to suspend any custodial term. “He very much regrets the effect of his actions.”

Falkingham, 21 of Causeway Crescent, admitted causing grievous bodily harm and in addition to the compensation was given a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years and 200 hours unpaid work.

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told him: “There was absolutely no excuse for what you did. It must have been a heavy punch because it caused a nasty and serious injury requiring an operation.”